1499. God's Called and Kept–"Ye," "You," "Yours."

God's Called and Kept–"Ye," "You," "Yours."

A Threefold Name (Jdg_1:1).

A Threefold Multiplication of Blessings (Jdg_1:2).

A Threefold Message (Jdg_1:3).

A Threefold Admonition (Jdg_1:17 and Jdg_1:20).

A Threefold Task (Jdg_1:21 and Jdg_1:23).

A Threefold Promise (Jdg_1:24).

A Threefold Adoration (Jdg_1:25).

The Book of Jude definitely and particularly discusses present-day modernists. In this study we discern two distinct groupings of threes–seven threes to each group.

The first group has to do with "certain men crept in unawares." They are referred to by the pronouns, "these," "they," "them." They are the apostates of the last days.

The second group has to do with God's "called and kept," the "faithful." They are referred to by the pronouns, "ye," "yours," "you."

The key to the whole message of Jude is Jdg_1:19. "Sensual, having not the Spirit." The Greek word is "psuchikos," and it is better translated, "soulish," men of soul, men of mind, men of intelligence, men of intellect. The certain men are "soulish," in contrast to God's "called and kept" who are men of Spirit. The Epistle discovers for us a practical demonstration of the message of 1Co_2:14. "The natural man (the same word "psuchikos" is used, the soulish man) knoweth not the things of God, for they are spiritually discerned."

Jam_3:15 tells us that the wisdom from beneath is "soulish"–the same word again. The Apostle Paul plainly taught in 2Co_1:12, "I came not in fleshly wisdom," that is in soulish wisdom, or natural wisdom–the same word again. On the contrary, the spiritual man is full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom (see Act_6:3). His scholarship is the wisdom which cometh down from above. The wisdom which the Holy Ghost imparts.

The Holy Spirit, in Eph_1:17, is called "the Spirit of wisdom." The Word which the Holy Spirit teacheth, and which we preach, is called, in 1Co_12:8, "the Word of wisdom."

May God bless us as we study the seven threefold statements concerning each of these two classes of individuals.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR